Every weekday, before the hustle and bustle of office workers and joggers fills the parks of Suva, Marshall Narayan is already hard at work clearing away the litter. Despite his dedicated efforts, by the next day, the rubbish has returned.
For the past year, Narayan, a long-standing Suva City Council worker with 21 years of service, has taken on the responsibility of cleaning the park each day. He perceives the recurring mess as a troubling indicator of a growing indifference towards public spaces.
“No matter how clean we leave it, when we come back the next morning it’s the same,” Narayan remarked, highlighting the frustrating cycle he faces daily.
Addressing common misconceptions, he pointed out that the issue is not due to a lack of rubbish bins; the council has ensured they are available and strategically placed throughout the park. “But they are not utilised,” he stated, expressing disappointment at the behavior of some park-goers.
Narayan frequently discovers fast-food wrappers from local restaurants, empty containers, and bottles left behind in areas where people gather to eat, relax, or socialize. He lamented that “people just leave it there and go.”
He believes that this trend reflects a broader decline in civic responsibility among the public. “We have our own way of thinking about how we use things that are provided to us. Most people are lazy. They leave it where they are sitting,” he said, underscoring a lack of accountability that seems to have intensified over the past year.
For Narayan, sustainable change hinges on the actions of park users. “If everyone just picked up after themselves, this place would stay clean,” he expressed hope for a more responsible community.
This situation serves as a call to action for all visitors to public spaces. Emphasizing the importance of civic pride, it encourages individuals to take ownership of their shared environment and contribute to a cleaner, more pleasant community for everyone.